As computer manufacturers seek to develop new and expanded international markets for their products, they are faced with the ever increasing problem of "internationalization". That is, how can a computer programmed in one language be configured such that an end user speaking a different language can interface with it?
In the past, little thought has been given to the internationalization of computers. For many years, computer users were merely forced to learn the language in which a computer was programmed (usually English). For some users, this hurdle meant choosing to buy a different computer system, or having to hire a consultant who spoke the computer's language.
In recent years, and largely due to the falling cost per megabyte of computer memory, it has become more common for computer systems to be manufactured with one or more installed language databases. Typically, these language databases are nothing more than libraries of messages saved in a particular language.
In some instances, a computer system is special ordered with a single installed language database corresponding to the language spoken by its purchaser. Alternatively, computer systems can sometimes be ordered with multiple installed language databases. However, while the purchaser of the computer may now have the ability to access his or her language database, he or she must still navigate cryptic codes and/or foreign prompts (i.e., prompts in the computer's system language--usually English) in order to configure and use his or her language database.
It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide methods and apparatus pertaining to multilingual system locale configuration, where "system locale" is defined as a setting or settings which determine which language database(s) a computer will access.
An additional object of this invention is to provide a system locale configuration interface which shields a user from cryptic codes and foreign prompts.
A further object of this invention is to provide system locale configuration methods and apparatus which enable a manufacturer to produce a single computer system which can be purchased and readily used in a large number of foreign countries and locales.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a system locale configuration interface which allows a user to remove unused and/or unecessary language databases from his or her computer system, thereby freeing up valuable disk storage space.